Thursday, September 17, 2009

Coupons: Take a Little Free Time—Save a Little Money

The saying goes “nothing in life is free.” That’s true of most things, even coupon savings. But if you’re willing to put in the time to clip or fill out forms on-line, you could save money on groceries, restaurants, entertainment, and office supplies.

Deals in the Newspaper:If you have the newspaper delivered or you purchase a Sunday paper, don’t throw away the ads and coupons. Read through the grocery ads so you know what you can stock up on (such as buy one/get one free boneless chicken breasts), what produce is on sale, and which items you might want to hold off on purchasing. Some grocery stores, such as Publix, will match competitor coupons.

Deals for Frequent Shoppers:Many stores from groceries to craft stores offer frequent shopper cards. If you sign up for one, you can get additional savings at the register and, in the case of my grocery store, ten cents off each gallon of gas at the pump. My local craft store mails me a bi-weekly circular on deals that includes a 40% off coupon on a non-sale item. I also receive coupon savings in the mail from the office supply store where I have a frequent shopper card. I saved about $20 on school supplies for my daughter in August. Your local PTA may also have deals with groceries and other stores and restaurants. These companies will make donations to the schools based on how much participating parents spend at their establishments.

Deals On-Line:If you’re willing to fill out information on-line, companies will send coupons directly to your e-mail inbox or will add the savings onto your frequent shopper card at your grocery (that’s right directly onto your card, so you don’t have to spend time clipping). You can also sign up to get free products shipped to you in the mail. Who wouldn’t want free Aveeno shampoo? Some on-line sites to check out are Kroger.com and shortcuts.com.

Because I put in the time to find bargains, I typically save between twenty and thirty dollars on weekly groceries. Because I frequent a particular grocery store, I pay ten cents less per gallon at the gas pump each time I fill up my van. Join me this month—after all, September is National Coupon Month—and see how much you can save.

Do you use coupons? What are some other ways you typically save money on your purchases?

I'm like Terry. I used to use coupons all of the time, but now it seems as though they often expire in my purse. I've never gotten into the internet coupons. We have a store that does double and some times triple coupons, but half the time I can't find the product I'm looking for at that store.

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